San Jose, CA- McDonald's Corporation Offering Free Wifi in 2010 in 11,000 Restaurants
McDonald's Corporation announced that starting in January more than 11,000 of its U.S. restaurants will have free Wi-Fi. Now if you are traveling around the country, free internet connections will be a simple matter of looking for the iconic towering golden arches, according to computerworld.com.
Internet access is a growing requirement even as we travel on vacation. With families keeping in touch with each other via email and social networking sites, public internet use becomes a priority.
Many corporations are offering free Wi-Fi service as a value added benefit to its customers, and paying high connection fees is quickly going the way of the old quarter pay toilets and eight track tape player.
McDonald's already had internet service, however, they asked customers what they wanted and they responded by requesting free Wi-Fi service--hotspots open to the public.
"Asked whether McDonald's sees free Wi-Fi as a draw for new or infrequent customers, Grooms said, 'We'll appeal to customers who visit us already, the folks with a [Wi-Fi] device ...who want a cup of coffee and to visit' ' as quoted in Computerworld.com.
McDonald's seems to be competing with Starbucks for a share of their customer base. With their specialty coffee drinks added recently to the menu, and now free WiFi find Starbucks on the hot seat to rethink the $3.99 charge they currently impose on their coffee customers.
McDonald's has partnered with AT&T with its offering.
Craig Mathias, according to computerworld.com, is an analyst at Farpoint Group said "One reason AT&T has cooperated with McDonald's on free Wi-Fi is that 3G cellular networks are becoming saturated...It is a reality that Verizon Wireless also recognizes, he added. Wi-Fi is essential to the success of the cell carriers."
Traveling and going mobile is not only the wave of the future and the current trend, but now it looks like that wave will be a free ride...now the hotels need to get on board and realize that a $10 connection fee is bad business and start offering free internet as a standard...just as they offer free soap and shampoo.
Source:
Preview of McDonald's Corporation Offering Free Wifi in 2010 in 11,000 Restaurants - Page 2
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9142402/McDonald_s_free_Wi_Fi_part_of_growing_trend?taxonomyId=15&pageNumber=2
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